Impact executive De Santis leaves club

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The Montreal Impact announced Sunday that former vice president Nick De Santis has left the team.

De Santis has served in many capacities with the Impact over the last 26 years, including as a player, head coach and sporting director. His most recent position was as the director of international business development and vice president of international relations and technical development.

The news of De Santis’ departure comes four days after Montreal fired head coach Remi Garde.

“We would like to thank Nick for his outstanding dedication, his passion and his relentless work for the Impact over the last 26 years, as he held several functions within the club and left his mark on the history of the club,” Impact president and CEO Kevin Gilmore said in a statement.

“Following recent changes and the new sporting structure being implemented, Nick came to us to discuss his future with the club, and we both agreed the time was right for a change.”

De Santis has won a championship with the club in three separate roles — as a player in 1994, head coach in 2004 and technical director in 2009.

“It has been both an incredible privilege and an honor to be part of this organization. I am truly grateful for having had the opportunity to represent this club over the years,” De Santis said. “I can only wish the Impact all the best for the future, as this club continues to grow.”

As a player, De Santis helped the Impact win the league championship in 1994 and three regular-season titles from 1995-1997. He played in 219 career matches with the club from 1993-98 and 2000-03.

De Santis also coached the Impact from 2004-2008 and returned to the role on an interim basis in 2011. He was a finalist for the coach of the year award in his first three seasons, winning it in 2005.